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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29566074">Fix (SFW Version)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fairfaxleasee/pseuds/Fairfaxleasee'>Fairfaxleasee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nathaniel/Sloane [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Idiots in Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:13:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,873</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29566074</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fairfaxleasee/pseuds/Fairfaxleasee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After some unsubtle prodding from his sister, Nathaniel Howe decides to talk with Sloane Cousland about their relationship.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Cousland/Nathaniel Howe, Nathaniel Howe/Female Warden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nathaniel/Sloane [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2153115</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fix (SFW Version)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Find me on tumblr at fairfaxleasee.tumblr.com</p><p>Thanks to @blondetexan and @xqueen0fhellx for betaing</p><p>NSFW Version available at https://archiveofourown.org/works/29565969</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nathaniel Howe did not care at all for the expression on his sister Delilah’s face.  It was the same one she’d had when they were children and she either caught him doing something she knew he wasn’t supposed to be doing, or caught him doing something she could make sound like something he wasn’t supposed to be doing.  He probably shouldn’t be doing this; he still couldn’t quite believe he was going to his younger, married, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> pregnant sister for romantic advice (and based on the expression, she knew he was here for </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> - although that was obvious, usually she’d have to come drag him out of the Keep for their visits, this time he’d been desperate enough to ask her to meet him).  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But just because he was here for romantic advice didn’t mean he had to start with asking for it.  “So… when are you due again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His question managed to wipe the smug grin off his sister’s face for a fraction of a second as she scowled at him, “Nathaniel, I tell you that every time we see each other, so don’t try to pretend you’re here to ask me about </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”  The ‘I’m never going to let you live this down’ grin was back and Nathaniel couldn’t help but feel as though it wasn’t going anywhere the rest of the conversation, and would dominate most of their interactions for a very long time to come.  “So tell me, what </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> you here for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Trying to dodge would just make things worse.  “You haven’t talked to Sloane Cousland recently, have you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thought his sister may have actually let out a high-pitched squeal at the name as she covered her mouth with her teacup for a few seconds.  “Why do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to ask </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> about Sloane Cousland?  You’re locked up in the Keep with your dear Commander all the time, aren’t you?  Shouldn’t you be the one who talked to her recently?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nathaniel narrowed his eyes.  “She’s… been avoiding me recently.  She’s been moody and withdrawn.  I think she might be-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Delilah definitely let out a high-pitched squeal and placed a hand over the swell in her abdomen, “Is that why you suddenly care when I’m due?  Want to know just how close in age your niece or nephew will be to my niece or nephew?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gazed at the ceiling and took a deep breath before he responded, “Honestly, Delilah, we’re both Wardens, it’s practically impossible for her to be-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Practically, but not completely!  Ha!  I knew it!  I </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> there was no way you were keeping your hands off each other!  When did it start?  Who started it?  Is it as good as you thought it would be?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nathaniel buried his head in his hands and leaned over the table as his sister kept up her barrage of increasingly inappropriate questions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>believe</span>
  <em>
    <span> I let my sister trick me like that!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Delilah, for her part, didn’t seem to think he was humiliated enough yet, “Oh!  I can’t wait to tell Fergus!  Can you believe he actually thought you two would have some self control?  Thank you, Nathaniel; your inability to act like a rational person any time you get anywhere near Sloane Cousland has just won me fifty sovereigns!  You must be pretty </span>
  <em>
    <span>relieved</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you’ve had the </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst</span>
  </em>
  <span> crush on her since you were about ten.  Oh!  Have you picked a date for the wedding yet?  Think you can wait until at least the summer?  There’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>no way</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’m missing that and I’d like to have an opportunity to fit into my old dresses again.  If you agree to let Fergus be the Best Man - which you really should anyway, you know - do you think she’ll let me be Matron of Honor?  I have my speech all-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Delilah, STOP!  I was saying </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think she may be mad at me</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His sister’s face fell in an instant and she set her features in an expression that was far too reminiscent of their father’s when he was angry for Nathaniel’s liking, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Nathaniel Howe!  What did you do</span>
  </em>
  <span>?  How </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> you let your pride even </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibly</span>
  </em>
  <span> ruin this for Fergus and me!  We have been waiting to laugh at you at your wedding for </span>
  <em>
    <span>over a decade</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He glared right back at her, “Oh, yes, Delilah!  I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> concerned about ruining things for you and Fergus just at the moment; Sloane won’t even look at me anymore and hasn’t said anything to me in two weeks, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and I love her so much I miss her in my bones,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but I’m really worried about how this is going to affect you and Fergus!”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Did I say what I think I said?  Aloud?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He struggled to get control of his breathing after his outburst.  He still couldn’t quite believe he’d been sufficiently shaken to voice what had been the core truth of his existence for years.  Now that he’d said the word he realized its paradox: it was both entirely true and wholly insufficient - he loved her, adored her, wanted her, needed her, </span>
  <em>
    <span>craved</span>
  </em>
  <span> her.  Anders and some of the others would sometimes complain about the whispers from the Darkspawn and how they tugged at the mind, but they had nothing, </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span> on what Sloane Cousland did to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Delilah put down her teacup.  “Does she know that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… she has to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?  Did you </span>
  <em>
    <span>tell</span>
  </em>
  <span> her?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nathaniel averted his eyes in response.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Really</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nathaniel?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t understand, Delilah-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I do </span>
  <em>
    <span>very much </span>
  </em>
  <span>understand; the two of you have it worse for each other than any two people I have ever heard of but you keep letting ridiculous, inconsequential things like your pride get in the way!  Now you go straight back to the Keep and </span>
  <em>
    <span>tell her</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”  She pointed to the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I - why do </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> have to be the one to tell </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because you came to ask my advice, that’s why!  If she’d come, I’d tell her the exact same thing, but she didn’t.  And we both know Fergus is too soft with her to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kick her ass to get moving</span>
  </em>
  <span> about this the way he needs to, so it’s going to be you!  Now quit feeling sorry for yourself and swallow your pride and maybe if you’re lucky she’ll start swallowing you again!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He decided to ignore his sister’s innuendo.  If he did manage to fix things with Sloane like he needed to and he started responding to them now, Delilah would never let up with them.  “I’ll… think about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll do it, or so help me I will make you </span>
  <em>
    <span>pay,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nathaniel!  Actually, no - I won’t have to, you’ll be paying the rest of your life anyway!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Delilah!  I just - what if she doesn’t feel the same way?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He barely whispered the last part but his sister had obviously heard it.  Her face softened for a few moments before she shook her head and tried to re-affix her disapproving glare.  “Nathaniel, if </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> all that’s holding you back that is quite possibly even stupider than you letting things get to this point in the first place.  She’s just as crazy for you as you are for her.  Now </span>
  <em>
    <span>go tell her</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sloane Cousland pulled the curtain back as she looked out the window wondering if there was any sign of Nathaniel yet.  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not</span>
  </em>
  <span> that she was looking for him.  Anders had come running up to her a few hours ago in her office to tell her Nathaniel had gone to Amaranthine to see his sister (fortunately the mage was so terrified of her forcing him to exercise he’d come tell her as soon as he knew Nathaniel had left the Keep to stop her threatening him).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nathaniel going to see Delilah was odd.  Usually Delilah came to the Keep and dragged her brother back to her house in the city for visits, but she was due in less than two months, so maybe that’s why Nathaniel was going to see her without being dragged.  Still, even if that was the reason, it was taking longer than it usually did; so where was he?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She crossed her arms over under her breasts and worried her lower lip between her teeth.  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why</span>
  </em>
  <span> did she care where he was?  Why was she </span>
  <em>
    <span>surprised</span>
  </em>
  <span> he was finding somewhere else to be?  She hadn’t spoken to him since their… whatever it had been two weeks ago.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is all </span>
  </em>
  <span>his</span>
  <em>
    <span> fault; if he’d just tell me he wants to stay I’d tell him how long I’ve been waiting for him to say that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe it was her brother’s letter that had her like this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Sloane,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I heard from Delilah not-Howe-anymore-but-I’m-honestly-not-sure-what-it-is that Nathaniel is in Amaranthine and you conscripted him into the Wardens.  I know you’re probably excited to see him again (even if I doubt you’re admitting it to yourself), just </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t let things get ahead of where you’re ready for them to be.  I don’t want to see you get hurt (and I’m positive he doesn’t want to see you get hurt, let alone be the one who hurts you) so </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>begging </span>
  </em>
  <span>you - think about what you’re doing before you do it and have an actual conversation with the man that doesn’t involve you swearing at him and storming off before you let him do that thing that I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> hope you haven’t and honestly would very much like to just assume you never do with anyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Your very worried brother,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fergus’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t decide whether she was more annoyed that her brother was worried about her or that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be worried about her.  She knew what she felt about Nathaniel, and what she wanted with him.  So why was it so hard for her to say?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Some movement from outside caught her eye and she looked back out the window.  It was Nathaniel approaching the entrance to the Keep.  She must have done something to somehow catch his eye, because the next thing she knew he was looking directly at her, and she was caught in his steely gaze again - where she’d missed being and </span>
  <em>
    <span>craved</span>
  </em>
  <span> returning to these last two weeks.  She had a vague thought that there was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>reason</span>
  </em>
  <span> she’d been avoiding Nathaniel, but now that she’d looked in his eyes again, her resolve to stay away had crumbled and there was nothing to do but wait for him to find her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take him long.  Or maybe it did and she just stopped noticing seconds when she wasn’t looking at him.  As soon as he was close enough to do it, he took her arm and growled, “Come with me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t even have the willpower to offer token resistance.  Just feeling Nathaniel’s fingers through her shirt was too magnetic, too powerful for her to even try to pull away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sorry, Fergus.  Guess I can’t take your advice after all, even the second time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She expected Nathaniel to stop at the door to her office and push her inside then onto the bed but he didn’t.  He tightened his grip on her slightly and kept marching down the hallway.  They kept going until they were in the residential wing of the Keep.  He threw open the door to a room she hadn’t been in before and pulled her in behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked around, “Where </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> this, Nathaniel?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked away from her, “My chambers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I - </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because there are some things we need to discuss.  And I didn’t want to be overheard.”  He let her go.  “The door’s not locked though, you can leave if that’s what you want.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that what </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> want?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked at her again and wound the purple streak in her hair around his finger, “If I wanted you to leave, do you think I would have bothered bringing you here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… no.  I guess not.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He kept his hand in her hair but it was still, “So, Sloane.  Anything else you want to ask me?  Or tell me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I love you and I need you and I fucking CRAVE you and these last two weeks have been torture and don’t you DARE go another two weeks without talking to me ever again!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately she couldn’t get out of her own way to say any of that.  Instead she pursed her lips and glanced away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright.  Then we’ll start with me asking you something - if I said something wrong, would you tell me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You bet your fucking ass I would!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grinned at her.  It was the grin that started on one side of his mouth and showed just enough of his teeth to excite her and had started this </span>
  <em>
    <span>entire fucking mess</span>
  </em>
  <span>!  “Good.  Well then, Sloane - I’m going to tell you what I think’s going on here.  And you stop me if I get something wrong.  Sound good?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You like me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was tempted to argue that.  She scowled at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, not </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span> but it’s more than that, isn’t it?  You need me, you crave me - it took everything you had to keep away from me as long as you did and you’re never going to be able to do it again because you don’t want to.  Because you love me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sloane swallowed.  She could try to deny it, but he’d never believe her.  Besides, she didn’t want to lie to him any more than she wanted to keep away from him.  “...so what if I do?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Sloane,” he stepped towards her and put one hand on her hip and the other on her chin so he could raise her face to his.  “I need you, I crave you - it took everything I had to stay away from you as long as I did and I’m never going to be able to do it again because I don’t want to.  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Because I love you</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-” she didn’t have words that would be enough.  Instead she wound her hands through his hair to the back of his head and pulled his lips down to meet hers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slid his hand from her hip to the small of her back and pressed them together.  His tongue was in her mouth, trying to capture hers and she closed her hands to grab fistfuls of his hair to make sure he wouldn’t be able to lean away.  He let go of her chin and she felt his hand roam down her body and lift up the hem of her shirt so he could untie the lace on her pants.  She let his hair go and raked her nails down his chest so she could do the same to his.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took his tongue back and nipped gently on hers as it tried to follow.  He leaned slightly away from her and admonished huskily, “Damn it, Sloane!  I need to take my shoes off first so just keep your hands to yourself for five minutes!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.”  She pressed her thumbs down on his nipples and began to rub them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His breathing was getting shallower, “You’re going to be the death of me, you know that, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.  You’re not allowed to die on me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm, always have to try and boss me around, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He put one hand on her back and lowered the other to grab her thigh.  She jumped a bit so she could lock her legs behind his hips and he carried her over to the bed.  She expected him to throw her to the mattress like he usually did, but instead he leaned over and lowered her onto it.  She grabbed the fabric of his shirt so she could tug it off as he leaned away.  He shook his head at her as he grabbed her leg to untie her boot and tug it off, “I doubt that’s going to keep you satisfied while I get my shoes off so if you’re that impatient why don’t you take off your own shirt while I do that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She flung her shirt and covering off before flinging them at him.  Her breasts heaved as she panted impatiently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pushed her back on the mattress and knelt between her legs.  “There, I’ve got them off, are you happy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!  Just what the fuck are you waiting for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stuck a finger inside her loosened pants.  “You, Sloane.  I’m waiting for you to tell me you want this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course I fucking want this!  I’ve wanted this since</span>
  </em>
  <span> -” she stopped and looked at him as she considered how long she’d been wanting this.  “I’ve wanted this since I don’t know when.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm.  I know the feeling.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slid out from under her then leaned into her to guide her to the mattress.  He kissed her cheek and whispered to her, “These are my chambers, Sloane.  I’m not going to leave them.  The question is: are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned her eyes to meet his and ran a hand along his jaw, “Is that your way of asking me to stay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiled down at her, “No.  That’s my way of telling you I never want you to leave.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good,” she moved her hand from his jaw to his ebony locks, “Because I don’t intend to.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
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